Very Rev. Charles H. McKenna, 0. P., P. G., Apostle of the Rosary and Holy Name

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THE APOSTLE OF THE HOLY NAME

SAINT has gone from amongus. The living inspiration ofour youthful lives has gone tothe Master to receive the re-

ward of his long and faithful steward-ship. With the passing away of theVery Rev. Charles Hyacinth McKenna,0. P., P. G., at Jacksonville, Florida,Feb. 21, we grieve exceedingly, for wehave lost a faithful friend. Thethought that we shall be inspired nolonger by his living presence, that theloving accents of his paternal affectionwill no longer greet our ears is athought distracting beyond description.But paradoxical as it may seem, we re-joice also, for we are convinced thatthe All Loving Master has calledFather McKenna in special recognitionof his faithful service, to celebrate hisgolden jubilee before the HeavenlyThrone. Surely we must rejoice, forherein we recognize a special sign ofdivine predilection. Too late has thenews of Father's death come to us topermit anything like an adequate ap-preciation of his saintly life. This mustbe left to the pages of the subsequentissue. It is sufficient here to enumer-ate the salient facts in this fruitful lifeand to give expression to our grief.On May 8, 1835, in the little town of

Fallalea, County Derry, Ireland, FatherMcKenna was born, the youngest often children. His parents, Francis Mc-Kenna and Anna Gillespie, were pros-perous farmers. Shortly, however, cir-cumstances were changed. In 1837,Mr. McKenna died. Potato blights andsimilar misfortunes at that time sweep-ing Ireland made such inroads into thefamily's means of livelihood, that itwas only with difficulty Mrs. McKennawas able to raise her family. Of hertask, she acquitted herself well andgave her boys a good rudimentary edu-

cation. When in 1848, it became nec-essary to come to America, she left heryoungest son in Ireland to continuehis education; and who would dare saythat this noble Irish mother did notmake this sacrifice because she saw inher little son the evidences of a divinevocation?In 1851 he joined his family in Amer-

ica, and for three years attendedschool in this country. Then for thesole purpose of making enough moneyto pay his way through college, CharlesMcKenna apprenticed himself out toan older brother and learned the stonecutters' trade.Working industriously, saving his

money, not neglecting his former hab-its of prayer, piety and devotion, usingall his spare time in reading and study-ing, this young aspirant to the higherlife was doing his part to foster hisdivine vocation and God was blessinghis effort. In Dubuque, Iowa, wherethe pursuance of his trade had led him,young McKenna .met the Very Rever-end Joseph A. Kelly, 0. P., who es-poused his cause and sent him to theDominican College at SinsinawaMound, Wis., in order to make his im-mediate preparation for the novitiate,which he entered in March, 1862.As might have been expected from a

young man of such character, CharlesMcKenna, now Brother Hyacinth,made an excellent religious. He wasadmitted to his religious profession onApril 30, 1863, and was ordained priestby Archbishop Purcell at Cincinnati,Ohio, October 13, 1867. Most conclu-sive evidence of Father McKenna's su-perior religious qualities as a novice aremanifested in the fact that his supe-riors appointed his sub-novice masterimmediately after his ordination. Oneyear later, the more responsible posi-

140 DOMINICANA

tion of novice master was entrusted to

this young priest.In 1870, Father McKenna was trans-

ferred to St. Vincent Ferrer's Church,

New York. Here began his brilliant

career as a missioner. His success,

however, is not to be attributed to any

practise of art; but rather his deep

hatred of sin, and zeal for God's honor

and glory found vent in a stirring elo-

quence that was irresistible in its effect

for it was divine in its origin. Rich

and poor, sinner and saint flocked to

hear the words of life as they fell from

the lips of this saintly missionary.Everywhere in demand, Father Mc-Kenna with true apostolic zealpreached in practically every city and

large town in this country. From 1880to 1893, he administered to the satisfac-tion of all the arduous duties of headof the missionary band. It. was onlyafter his own and repeated requeststhat he was relieved from this positionof trust in order to devote himself moreparticularly to the Apostolate of theRosary and the Holy Name Societies.This was a work especially pleasing toFather McKenna for in it he recog-nized, and now that his work stands aglorious monument to his honor, weall recognize, what a powerful influ-ence for good there is in these societies.In this work he labored faithfully tothe end,—indeed, it was in the actualperformance of this work that his finalbreak-down came September 3, 1914,while preaching a Holy Name triduumat Hopewell, N. J.Any enumeration of the salient facts

in Father's life, no matter how brief,would be incomplete if it failed tobring out the fact that the burning elo-quence of his voice has been perpetu-ated in the spiritual books which havecome from his pen. Who among Do-minican Tertiaries are not familiarwith Father McKenna's "Manual of the

Third Order of St. Dominic"? Whoamong us has not profited by each care-ful perusal of his "Angelic Guide," his"Crown of Mary," and his "Treasuresof the Rosary"?This fruitful life is over. Father

has gone from this land of exile intothe mansion prepared for him from alleternity. The signal tribute of love ac-corded his silent remains is a criterionof his popular canonization. A contin-uous stream of people visited the con-vent of St. Vincent Ferrer, New York,where Father McKenna's body lay instate. It was a most edifying sight tosee the people, as they bade farewellto the beloved servant of God, touch hisbody with their rosary beads or otherarticles of devotion which they broughtwith them for that purpose.On Sunday evening, February 25, the

body was removed to the Dominicans'temporary church on East -Sixty-sev-enth Street. About fifteen hundredmember of the Holy Name Society ac-companied the body to the Church. Onthe way it was necessary to pass by thefire headquarters of the city and a po-lice station. As the solemn processionmoved through the streets, the police-men and firemenlined up on the curbon either side of the street and stoodat salute. The fire-bell tolled as thecoffin passed by. When the processionarrived, the church was crowded, anduntil late in the evening thousands ofpersons passed by the bier for a fare-well look at the peaceful face of theirsaintly father.On Monday morning, the Very Rev.

Joseph R. Heffernan, 0. P., prior of St.Vincent Ferrer's Convent, sang a Re-quiem High Mass in the presence of thebody. At nine o'clock, the remainswere taken to St. Patrick's Cathedral.This signal favor was the request ofHis Eminence Cardinal Farley and theRight Rev. M. J. Lavelle, who asked

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that the honor of the funeral be givento the Cathedral on account of the na-tional character of Father 1VIcKenna'sservice to the Church.The Solemn Requiem Mass at the

Cathedral was celebrated by the RightRev. Patrick J. Hayes, AuxiliaryBishop of New York. He was assistedby the Rev. Bernard McKenna as dea-con, and the Rev. James McKenna assubdeacon, both of these latter beingrelatives of the deceased.His Eminence Cardinal Farley pre-

sided on the throne and gave the lastblessing. The sermon was preachedby the Very Rev. Raymond Meagher,0. P., S. T. L., Provincial. In the sanc-tuary there were the Right Rev. John

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J. Nilan, Bishop of Hartford, and theRight Rev. John J. McCort, AuxiliaryBishop of Philadelphia, besides fifteenmonsignori and two hundred priests,diocesan and religious, including sixtyDominicans. In the front pews of theCathedral were fully one hundred Do-minican Sisters. About two thousandmembers of the Holy Name Societywere present, representing almostevery parish in the city. The attend-anc altogether was over four thousandpersons.Thus was manifested the esteem and

love with which Father McKenna isheld. Let those of us whom he knewand loved in life, never forget him indeath. —Pius Johannsen, 0. P.

CARDINAL BOGGIANI

T the recent private consistoryof December 4, Pope. BenedictXV elevated to the eminenceof the Sacred College ten new

cardinals, among whom was the schol-arly and zealous Dominican, ThomasPius Boggiani, Titular Archbishop ofEdessa. The newly-appointed cardinalwas born in 1863 in the little town ofBosco, pleasantly situated in the Alpinehighlands of Northern Italy. At anearly age he felt the divine call to thereligious life and sacred ministry.Leaving home and friends and lovedones was, indeed, a bitter trial to theyoung postulant, but with a heart reso-lutely steeled against the sweet as-saults of earthly love and a will firmlythwarting the attachments of theworld, young Thomas entered the con-vent of the Friars Preachers in his na-tive village.Here it was that, some forty years

before, Lacordaire on his journeys to

Rome would spend weeks in prayerand meditation. Here it was he firstplanned that great achievement of hislife—the reestablishment in France ofhis Order, which had been banished bythe orgies and tyranny of the FrenchRevolution. And here it was, a genera-tion afterward, that the young novice,Brother Pius, in the silent peace andquiet of his cloister home preparedhimself by years of study, prayer andself-discipline for his subsequent workof love and sacrifice.At the age of twenty-four he was

ordained and shortly afterward was ap-pointed parish priest of the Dominicanchurch, Santa Maria del Castello, inGenoa. The rector of the diocesanseminary on learning of his presenceeagerly sought him as a professor ofdogmatic theology. Thus, while in thecity of "La Superba," Fr. Boggiani en-acted the dual role of zealous pastorand erudite professor. His pastoral